A post-traumatic tactical fantasy RPG

Month: February 2017

Next up in our series of previews for the Knight to Remember adventure is the Knight. This class is an armoured fighter who’s very good at protecting friends, and the special class feature means that the Knight is able to interpose herself into engagements where foes are attacking less protected allies.

Characters: Class: Knight

The Knight is a heavily armoured defender class that focuses on protecting allies from harm; in fact, through its Intercept class ability, Knights are the only ones who are able to interject themselves into engagements between other combatants.

Unlike the Rogue, which is a striker class designed to inflict damage by going on the offensive with direct attacks, Knight powers are oriented toward counterattacks and interrupts.

Knights are at their most effective on the battlefield when they protect their more fragile allies, so be on the lookout for companions who need a helping hand and adversaries that are capable of inflicting powerful blows.

To ensure that they’re able to withstand such extensive punishment in combat, Knights have a bonus to Fortitude and a very high base health.

Knights gain +1 Fortitude

Knights add 12 hp

Class feature: all actions taken by the Knight have the Intercept property

Knights have the Shield Competency:

Shieldwall

“It will take more than that

Roll a second Tier Die. You may use this result when using a counterattack or interrupt power but if you do, your action deals 0 damage

Knights gain the following powers:

Deflecting Assault

“Not today

Melee Counterattack – S3

Damage 1W

Armoured Challenge

“Eyes on me, Knave!

Melee Attack – S2

Damage 1W + 1

Your foe cannot use a move action until the beginning of your next turn.

Knight’s Pride

“I have dedicated my life to this

Skill Attack – SFPRW 1

If this skill contest is Physical, you have an Edge

Knights begin the game with the following equipment.

Light Melee Weapon

Damage 1

Reach 1, Range 0

Heavy Armour

Response -1

Resistance 2

Shield

Response 0

Resistance 1

Why Play a Knight

Knights are great for players who want a heavily armoured character who protects their friends and allies from danger. The Knight is an iron bulwark against danger and harm.

The Insectoid is the other race included in the Knight to Remember tutorial adventure. We’ve encountered an Insectoid in the adventure path before – Vruxyx sought you out in Rogue in the Woods. Insectoids are the fast, mobile counterpart to the Formians; their great size belies surprising speed and quickness. Insectoids also have an unusual history; once an innumerable race of drones controlled by a hivemind, the destruction of their central intelligence inflicted individuality and consciousness upon each individual member of the race.

Before the coming of Man, the Insectoid race was as one, unified under the great hiveminds of Xzzryxy. Thinking as one, acting as one, existing as one, Insectoids spread across the whole of Ceyenus. The enormity of their civilization made their shattering all the more tragic. Where there had only been one voice, suddenly a cacophony. The shock of sudden individuality was too much for most, killing many and driving others mad. Those who survived did not fare better, being immediately enslaved by Man.

The descendants of those survivors have made a life for themselves within the Deep Wood. Insectoids do not have family units, preferring instead individual lives lived in close proximity to others of their kind. Despite this preference, Insectoids lack the territoriality that one might expect from such a large race, and it is commonplace for a group of Insectoids to live amongst other races.

The shattering of the Hivemind bestowed the curse of individual consciousness upon the Insectoid race, and the sudden realization of Man’s infliction of mortality means that few Insectoids intentionally seek out adventure and glory.

Insectoids receive +1 to Wit or Response.

Insectoids have a Speed of 7.

All Insectoids have the following power:

Springy Leap

“From the Heavens

Move Action

Move up to your speed. At any point during the move, you may leap up to three squares, bypassing terrain (and adversaries) underfoot. This does not extend your movement range.

Physical traits

Insectoids are typically 6’1” – 7’10” tall and weigh between 170 and 220 lbs. They have six legs, four lower legs which they use for locomotion, and two upper appendages with complex claws for grasping and manipulation.

Their large mandibles mean that Insectoids lack the physiological means to speak. Instead, they communicate by broadcasting their thoughts into nearby minds. Though it is unsettling to those unaccustomed to it, this is not a subtle act; much like spoken word, everyone within range will receive the transmission.

Insectoids live an average of 50-70 years

Motivation

Reluctant heroes, those Insectoids found adventuring are driven by a force which outweighs their tendency toward self-preservation. This motivation might be personal in nature, such as a friend in need, or it might be larger than life, like seeking to reforge the hivemind.

Why Play an Insectoid

Insectoids are great for players who want a character who wrestles with their inner nature, who becomes a hero in spite of themselves, not because of who they are.

Welcome Heroes, to the next instalment of the Knight to Remember preview. In today’s post, we get to see the Stalwart Guard, a background for characters in Let Thrones Beware. The Guard is a great background for players who like to cooperate with their commrades, and a a character with this background who’s able to coordinate will see some real benefits. This background is also our first introduction to Influences, which represent the people, knowledge, and possessions that you character has which will be useful while adventuring. We’ll take a look at exactly how Influences work in a future preview, but for now, just know that the non-combat challenge system has a whole mechanical component that supports the skill powers.

Lastly, the background describes some sample motivations that might drive a character who has the Stalwart Guard background and reasons why a player might want to pick this background over others.

Until next time!

Characters: Background: Stalwart Guard

The Stalwart Guard is a familiar sight to all who dwell in the Deep Wood. Whether escorting merchant convoys during the Passage, keeping a watchful eye on the forest from atop a fortified village tower, or holding the Gate of Thorns against terrors that seek the verdant greens beyond the mountains, guards are essential to continued existence within the Deep Wood.

The training and experience of guards is varied; those who enlist at the Gate of Thorns benefit from a rich and storied martial tradition, while those born deep within the forest who volunteer to protect their home are considerably less well off. Competent guards, no matter where they served, are not only formidable in battle, but also observant and quick to bring down the might of their comrades in order to confront an obstacle.

Guards gain +1 to Strength due to all the marching they do.

As a guard, you possess certain Influences, which can be used to help you succeed in non-combat challenges (you’ll learn exactly how to make use of Influences later in the adventure). Influences represent the people that you know, the knowledge that you’ve acquired, and the possessions you own that can help with a particular challenge. Unlike the powers your character has, when you use an Influence, it is expended rather than exhausted; you will not regain it. Through the course of your travels, you will be rewarded with additional Influences.

Your starting Influences are as follows (remember these values, as you will often reset your Influences to their starting values at the beginning of an adventure):

Inventory 1, Knowledge 1, Contact 2

Guards also have the following combat and non-combat powers:

Good Cop, Bad Cop

Skill Attack – SFRWP 1

An ally assisting you provides grants you Edge and causes the Obstacle you’re confronting to lose an Edge

The Guard is never wrong

Skill Attack – SFRWP 2

GM draws two more Obstacles. Look at all three, pick one to discard. GM may use either of the other two.

A Right Cudgelling

Melee Attack – SFRWP 1

Damage 1W

Target is Stunned until the end of its next turn.

Motivation

Adventurers with the Guard background are often motivated by a desire to bring order to the wild and dangerous Deep Wood. They might also be looking to escape the regimented, routine life and find some adventure.

Why Play a Guard

The Guard background is a good choice for players who want to have a character with a formal, quasi-military past. Guards have deep insight into the workings of their jurisdictions, whether they be castles, sprawling estates, or small villages. Guards can be grizzled old veterans, eager young recruits, or anything in between.

As I’ve touched on in previous posts, the second Let Thrones Beware introductory adventure, Knight to Remember, will cover two complete character workups (that’s race, background, and class). This morning we take a look at the race of the first character – the Formian. The first Formian we encountered was Telchal, who hired your rogue to retrieve a precious family heirloom. You encountered another in the market, where you learned that Formians are drawn to large cities where they utilize their experience in working with stone and earth.

Characters: Race: Formian

It is said that the Formians sprang from the very cradle of Ceyenus itself, earth given breath to defend the planet from the races set upon its surface by the gods. To be sure, were that the case, not only would it explain the brilliant metallic colour of their hair, the mottled, stonelike appearance of their skin and features, and their affinity for rock and earth. Formians tend to be deliberate and considered in their dealings and have been described as “slow as the mountains themselves.”

Most Formians place great emphasis on familial ties, and Formian families, when unchecked, grow to be quite large in comparison to other races. These linkages, as well as the connection they feel to the land, may be why the Formians are generally reluctant to escape the Deep Wood.

Within refuge villages, Formians are typically farmers, using their connection with Ceyenus to nurture crops in the less than ideal environment. In some exceptional cases, the link to the earth is so strong that they are able to manipulate the very rock itself. The fortunate villages which possess such extraordinary Formians are encircled by sturdy stone walls, deterring many of the dangers of the Deep Woood.

Formians live an average of 90-100 years, are usually quite averse to adventuring, preferring instead to stay with their kin. In those cases where a Formian does take up heroics as a career, the Formian generally departs in their 40s, after they have raised their children. It is unusual for one to set out before founding a family, and rare for a Formian adventurer to be absent for extended periods; most will find excuses to return home on a regular basis.

Formian skin tones resemble rock and mineral. They are hairless, and have prominent veins of metallic in colour lacing their skin, which range from copper and bronze to shining gold and brilliant platinum.

Unlike most, Formians do not require food or drink; however, they must remain stationary with their feet touching fresh earth or rock for several hours a day as they replenish nutrients from Ceyenus itself.

Motivation

While they are not the most adventurous of the races of Ceyenus, Formians are fierce protectors of their homes and family; many a Formian adventurer has ventured out to right a perceived wrong or defend their loved ones from danger.

Why Play a Formian

Formians are great for players who want a character with family history and extensive, meaningful ties to a home.

The ultimate goal of the adventure series I’m writing is to equip a group of 5 players with the tools they need to sit down and play Let Thrones Beware – play without having to first page through several hundred dense pages of reference material. Each adventure begins with a thematic overview of a pertinent part of the Let Thrones Beware world. In Rogue in the Woods: A Let Thrones Beware Adventure, players were introduced to the world of Ceyenus for the first time, read about the incursion of Man, and learned about the cataclysm that destroyed Man’s kingdom. In the second adventure, Knight to Remember, we learn more about the Deep Wood, the refuge villages that have been established by those who managed to escape the end of Man, and catch a first glimpse of the horrors that lurk within the forest.

For your enjoyment, here’s the opening of our next adventure.

Given the paucity of Man’s presence in the Deep Wood, it was only natural that cataclysm which was his undoing sent the races of Ceyenus hurrying for shelter under its foreboding canopy. Though it was the Fey who Man first ripped from forests centuries ago, the flood of refugees encompassed all those who were close enough to reach the massive trunks of the Wood before the lands of Man were completely consumed by the conflagration that brought low his kingdom. Insectoid, Formian, Ipotane, and Fey, all released from the domineering hand of Man, found themselves alone in an isolated and primeval land. While freed, their civilizations and cultures had been lain to waste, and all found themselves facing the daunting prospect of forging a new destiny in a strange and unfamiliar place.

Spirits buoyed by their freedom, the refugees set about claiming the Deep Wood. Sprawling settlements were established, open to all those that desired to make a home for themselves. It was not an easy life; food, tools, and comfort were in short supply, but compared to the atrocities that came before, it was good living. Sadly, hope of a tranquil existence was short-lived. While there was little internecine violence between the refugees, they soon discovered that Man had avoided the Wood with good reason. The Deep Wood, remote and isolated, had never been cultivated by the Fey, and in their absence, darker, more insidious forces had taken hold. The presence which lurked behind the trees fed off the Cataclysm, and its hunger was to be insatiable.

Absent the threat of Man, the refugees had given scant thought to protection, and the communities which they had founded were largely indefensible. When the Deep Wood first was inundated by fog, they thought little of it, even when the concealing vapour lingered, refusing to dissipate for weeks at a time. Wild animals were blamed for the first disappearances, as was getting lost in the mist, but as the vanishings increased in both number and frequency, it became clear that something more insidious was at work.

The first walls were erected shortly after the fifteenth year, a too-late response to the realization of the true threat. In what is known as the First Reaping, Watcher’s Redoubt, a 300-person farming community saw its population cut by a third in a single night. Thatched roofs staved in and doors shattered, the town saw its populace reduced by a third in a single night of carnage and bloodshed. It was only then that the true nature of the Deep Wood was realized. With haste, the survivors constructed rudimentary defences; wooden palisades, shallow trenches, and rickety towers went up across the hamlets and villages of the Deep Wood.

In time, a connection was made between the attacks and the thick, rolling fog that blanketed the forest; when the fog receded, so too did the savage slaughter of anyone who dared venture into the trees abate. When the fog poured back from between the trees, it meant certain doom for anyone unlucky enough to remain outside the relative safety of the refuge villages. The times without fog, the longest of which occurred like clockwork at the end of each season, came to be known as the Passage. During these respites, merchants and peddlers took to plying their trade between the refuge villages, performing a vital service at tremendous personal risk. As years churned by, trade between the villages increased, and the Passage gradually took on shades of ritual. The scourge of bandits has grown in recent years, and merchants have begun to band together in caravans for safety.

One such Passage has just begun, and the death of Summer is heralded at your guard post by the creak of wooden carts and the grunts of oxen.